4 Jim Alapag (PHI)
04/11/2016
Asia
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Remembering Jimmy Alapag's Top 4 moments

MANILA - One of the most revered and loved Philippine basketball players is finally hanging up his sneakers for good. In a YouTube video posted a couple of days ago, veteran Filipino playmaker and three-point specialist Jimmy Alapag announced his second and final retirement from the game.

"It's been an amazing 13 years,” said Alapag. “But turning 39 next month and having left everything that I have on the basketball court, it's time to walk away for good."

The 1.75m Filipino-American actually first retired from the national team two years ago, but he resumed active duty to replace an injured Jayson Castro in the 2014 Asian Games. He retired from the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) not long after, but he eventually returned, too, donning the Meralco Bolts’ colors until the 2016 PBA Governors' Cup. Before that point, he spent his entire pro career with the Talk N Text club.

A photo posted by Jimmy Alapag (@jalapag3) on

Now we look back on Alapag’s best moments. We know that he was a PBA champion, All-Star and Most Valuable Player. Of course, we also know that he was an influential and productive member of Team Philippines many times starting in 2007. Most recently, Alapag also wore jersey #4 for the Philippines, which is why we’re looking at the Top 4 moments of his storied basketball career.

1. Alapag debuted for the Philippines in the FIBA Asia Championship 2007.

Coming off being banned from international competition, the Philippines returned to continental action in 2007, and Alapag was at the vanguard, leading the team in scoring with 16.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 42.9% from beyond the arc.

2. He returned to Gilas Pilipinas in 2011 and helped them to a top four finish.

 
Alapag missed national duty from 2008-2010, but he was called up again in 2011 as Gilas Pilipinas embarked on a renewed campaign to restore the Philippines' former glory. He served as a mentor to young studs like Chris Tiu, Mark Barroca and JV Casio as the Filipinos broke into the top four for the first time since 1987.

3. Alapag helped carry Gilas to second place in 2013 and their first World Cup win in forty years.

Alapag was instrumental as Gilas Pilipinas finished second in the FIBA Asia Championship 2013, especially his clutch performance against Korea in the Semi-Finals, but the cherry on top was his timely shooting in the Filipinos’ historic win over Senegal to close their FIBA Basketball World Cup 2014 campaign.

4. He broke the all-time PBA record for total three-pointers made.

Just this past PBA season, Alapag overtook legendary shooter Allan Caidic to become the league’s all-time three-point shooting leader. He officially broke Caidic's 17-year record in Game Two of the Governors' Cup Finals against the Ginebra Gin Kings.

FIBA